Polar Express

Plot

A young boy, who is starting to disbelieve in the Santa Clause and the magic of Christmas is awoken during the night of Christmas Eve to find an enormous train in his front yard; The Polar Express. He joins the trip which journeys to the North Pole, and along his way he begins to believe once again.

Direction

Under the guide of Robert Zemeckis – this is the first all-digital capture film – which while at times is a little off putting with some of the facial features (‘Hero Boy’ and ‘Hero Girl’ facial expressions are a little creepy at times too).

Without this computer animation, moments like the ultra-fast zooms, the action that the children undertake – such as Hero Boy on top of the train, and falling into Santa’s sack, and finally the mesmerising journey of the lost ticket would not be feasible. Other mentionable moments are the reflections early in the film and the keyhole POV.

Cast/Characters

Tom Hanks is the primary cast member with him playing almost all the adult speaking roles (Dad, Hobo, Santa Clause and the Conductor).

Other voice cast include Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Eddie Deezen and Michael Jeter.

Screenplay/Setting/Themes

The primary theme of the film is the extension of belief. The young boy or Hero Boy as he was credited as in the film is starting to lose his belief in Santa and the magic of Christmas. He gets that back slowly throughout the film – and this is shown in the ‘bells’. The other children can hear the magical sounds – but he can’t – and later in the film he hears them again.

This hit home a little for me as I have a daughter around the same age – and she is on the cusp of this moment, and as an adult who ‘can’t hear the bells’ anymore – it’s sad that she is getting to that age.

Score/Soundtrack

There is a lovely score by Alan Silvestri, which sets the tone for the moments in the film (uplifting when Hero Boy jumps on the train, and exciting when he is on top of the train with the Hobo.)

Overall

Embarrassingly this was my first time watching this film (I was 21 when it came out so it never really appealed to me), and I wish I watched it sooner. I really enjoyed this, and appreciated the themes of it – especially as a father to a child of a similar age to Hero Boy and Girl. Despite the minimal flaws, this was well worth a watch, and is a strong recommend for kids and adults alike.

4/5